79% Of UK Workers Fear Losing Their Jobs This Year – And Its Not AI Related

For the past couple of years, AI has been one of the biggest topics when it came to job anxiety. But now, a new UK Job Security Report 2026 from MyPerfectCV surveyed some employees and it sound something completely different…

79% of UK workers are worried about their careers, and its because of the state of the economy. This fear has grown over the past year as 69% of workers say they feel more worried about their job security this year than they did last year and only 12% say they aren’t as worried as they were before.

Dr. Jasmine Escalera, career expert at MyPerfectCV, said: “Many workers are feeling increasingly uncertain about their job security right now. Concerns about layoffs, rising unemployment, and the broader economic outlook are clearly shaping how employees view their stability at work.”

How Bad Do Workers Think It Could Actually Get?

For starters, an entire 82% of workers believe that they’ll. be experiencing layoffs at their companies within this year, with 45% voting ‘very likely” and 38% saying “somewhat likely”.

A similar view is shared when it comes to the job market as a whole outside of their own jobs as 63% believe redundancies across the UK will go up in 2026, and only 12% think they will go down. Workers are thinking about risk both inside their company and across the job market.

Something else that came up was unemployment with 77% of workers believing the UK unemployment rate will increase this year, compared to 13% who think it will go down and 10% expecting no changes.

Business closures are also on people’s minds with 51% expecting more businesses to close in 2026. 34% think closures will stay about the same, and 15% expect fewer closures.

The way workers are thinking about stability and the long term is really changing with expectations lowering in those areas.

Why Is The Economy Playing Such A Big Role?

Money concerns are the biggest influences around this fear, in fact, 59% of workers say they are worried their pay will not keep up with costs, and 58% say the cost of living is one of their biggest worries.

This affects how people view risk at work because nowadays, losing a job carries more weight when everyday expenses keep going up. 43% say they are worried about not being able to find a new job if needed. The report also shows that 92% of workers are worried about the UK entering a recession in 2026. This level of worry feeds into how people think about their employer and their own job security.

Workplace wellbeing is also an issue after 31% brought up burnout or mental health and 15% say they worry about a lack of career progression.

These all come together to influence just how workers judge their current role and their next move.

What Does This Mean For Today’s Job Market?

The data shows a workforce that is thinking more carefully about job security than before. Many workers are being more mindful of stability and income.

Employers may notice changes in behaviour where workers may delay job moves, avoid taking risks or stay in roles longer than planned for the sake of stability. Expectations around layoffs and business closures are high, and this affects how people feel at work everyday. Even just the thought of job loss can change how people engage with their role.

The economy, rising costs and fear of recession are now shaping how workers think about their jobs, their income, and their future and AI is no longer the biggest issue, according to these workers.